Casing ripper



2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 16,A 1930. F. J. HINDERLITER CASING RIPPER Filed oct. 19. 1927 Sept.. 161930. F. J. HINDERLITER GASING RIPPER 'Filed not. 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 15, 1930 PATENT ori-ICE FRANK J'. HINDERLITER, 0F TULSA, OKLAHOMA casina RIPPER Application led October 19, 1927.

My inventionV relates in general to a casing ripper, and more particularly to an eccentric casing ripper adapted to be lowered into auwell casing Without disturbingl the .fr piping and tools therein, and then operated to cut or rip the lower end'of a casing sleeve out of a coupling or collar connecting the adjacent ends of a pairof suchsleeves.

An object of my invention is the provision of an improved casing ripper adapted to separate the sleeves of a deep well casing with facility without the necessity of removing the piping and tools in said casing.

Another objectl of the invention is the prof vision of a casing ripper including a body having an eccentrically dispo-sed cutter or ripper knife and a plurality of friction plates adapted to engage the inner surface of the n casing to hold the body and the lower mem- "i ber of a fishing jar up in the well hole so that the upper fishing jar can be operated.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision .of a deep well casing ripper of t.. simple and .inexpensive construction includ- "J ing an eccentrically disposed ripping tool` or cutter and adapted to be lowered with facility into a given position in the well casing, so as to enable theV adjacent sleeves of said 35, casing to be separated ina comparatively short time.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a ripper including a coupling portion set overV to one side ofthe piping in the casing, a body member connected to the coupling portion having an eccentrically disposed hole through which the piping in the casing is adapted to pass and an eccentrically disposed ripping tool mounted 4win the body member below the oint portion, the jointportion being so arranged that it will allow the tool to be lowered clear down to the bottom of the casing over the piping and tool in the casing.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments thereof and 50 in which:

Serial No. 227,198.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the tool of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the tool shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view partly in sect-ion and elevation illustrating the position of the tool when it is lowered into a well casing;

Figure 4: is a fragmentary view partly in section and elevation similar tothe lower part of Figure 3 and drawn to an enlarged scale showing the position of the cutting knife after it has ripped clear through the casing wall;

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the tool shown in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of Figure l looking upwardly;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on substantially the line VII-VH of Figure 5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and showing the mounting for the frictional plate adapted to engage the inner surface of the casing;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view partly in section and elevation showing the tool pro.- vided with a cutter rather than a knife such as that shown in Figure l;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 illustrating the manner in which the cutter rips the casing from the coupling, and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view partly in elevation similar to Figure 9 showing the cutter in an inverted position and illustrating the manner in which the casing is ripped from the coupling.

In the drawings:

Like reference characters designate similar parts throughout .the several views.

The device, as best shown in Figure' 1, comprises a body 10 having an .eccentrically disposed opening 1l (Figure 5) through which the piping or string of pipes 12in the casing 13 is adapted to pass. The body 10 is provided with an upwardly extending eccentric portion 14, the upperl end of which has formed integral with it a pin 15. This pin has a threaded-portion 16 adapted to be coupled to suitable lowering means such as 'ltherjar 17 vshown iniFigureB .and a string of pipes (not shown); rI his jar17 is of Conf ventionaly construction and is adapted'fto be used-in theroperation of the ripper, as will be more fully explained' hereinafter.

l The body 1 0 (Figures 2 andj) hasan felon.-y f j gated verticalslot 18 in Which ,is disposed a vtool Whichmay'takeithe form Y"of the cutterv orripper'knife 19 shown in Figures.1,.t`15b,` inclusive,` or which may Y take the forli; of theVV f' clusive. `'The blade 20 will be more fully. de-

; scribed lLin connection with Figures"V 8,,"9

The knife 19 is pivotally mounted upon aH pin-,2lfvvhich'ext'ends through an opening22. in the bodylO. This opening 22 is disposed in a horizontal `plane v'and 5 intersects 'the slot i 18. Y fitl Will'be observed from Figures 2 and ITir-that the bodyijhastwo recessed portions which are providedto enable.'the.ends of the pin'21f'to beV vvithiirthe cross?sectional` dimensions of the body 10. The ripper `knife lor cutter 1,9 includes a'pointli which projects 25 beyond. 'the .body- 105i Attentioni,` is directed to the 'factithat' they slot18 is'also intersected; by tvvo Aother horizontal Yopenings. 25 and 26 disposedA above fand v:parallel .toi openingI v22;,- Positioned below the opening 22i's a smallopening-25 adapted toreoeivea nail'or pinV 25, `Which is 'usedto limit the ,doivnWardV movement ofthe knife V19 during the'time f it-@isbeing lovveredlinthe :well casing.v This nail prevents the knife'from turning upsideV down inthe event it come's'into a cavity in the. kcasing13. Obviously, yuponthe begin-r ning of the upward, or shearing.'stroke ofthe blade, this nail Willibesheared by theknife 19; Mounted inthe'slo-t'lfr` (Figures. 3`ai1d1f) is a blocl 28 including a slanting surface 29.rv

Theblockr'is held in place by meansfo'fakpin extending th'roughfthe upperr end thereof@ `and through horizontalfopening 26 f (Figure .'1 It Will `be notedfthat the -bodyl 1 0 isf: provided with two! recessed portions 31 'for accommodating v*the endsl "of V=the. pini AMounted vuponfthe ,slantingf surface-'29 off:v

block V28Vis a' leaf spring 32 suitably vsecured thereto by screws 33. V'This'leaf spring has its lower I end bent"outvvardly, ias indicated v, at34; Positionedbetween'the bent end .3&1 v `of leaf spring 32 and the slanting. surface i297 I of block 28 is a springr ,whiehtends' to at 1 all V.times urge this endof the 1 spring aivay from the block. I Obviously when'. the knife 19 is inits upper position (Figures k1 an'dB) it.v WillV be urged `outwardly by the spring' -35 vthrough the bent 'end 34 of the leafsprin'g` 32 which is in vengage'nfient therewith.y

" IL order to hold the body 10 ofV he pairS-of `oppositelydisposed friction plates 4.0.; K Since'theseplates are .identical incon- V struction, 'it is thought thata descriptionoff Voneiivvill -sufiicefor'both Eachv plate `210il inf` device ,up in the casing, I provide the body vvithfa'l cludes lateral projections 41' 1extendingl into slotsy 4:2: in 'thebody 10. Each projection 41. c has anelongatedslott through-'Which ex`rr` vtenchsja pin 44Y (Figu're7)f;Vv InFigurejit Will beobserved that the body lOiisprovided 'with' right angular recessedportions45 and 452 positioned;adj acent,` thegfri-ctiongplates A v t 40.31)Thesearecessed pjojrtionsrlpermit,ofthe. c passing. ,ofthe pins through theffelongated` 'f c 75;Y c j 'slotsV 43 `Vin i each 'of the friction plates 4Q.k

i Thefriction"plateffis vatall times urgedoutjv ,vvardly .by means of avplurality vof springs f Y "46 positionedin apertures'it' forinedyin their' ,body1Q` hesispress' enses@ the innen ysurface of the friction plate 'and tend toat e all times urge'the plate away from thezbody *i 1 .104VV Obviously, Whenajthefdevice isylowered into the Wellrcasingg13," these friction plates'Vv will vbelurg'ged into-iengagement Withfthe* Theoperation:offniyjnovel-rip l i'ngdevi'c'eY-"f` is brieflyas follows:` i 1" 2 k'The device is littedoveigthestring offpipe's" i i 12. andalovveredinto the vc'as izng?13 by means ofthe ar 17 ,anditliegrod 'orfrpipingconnected thereto. fT-his device, is? lowered until,v it reaches 2t-he casing coupling y'113C f roinfvvhich the uppersec'tion off/Casing isjtobe ripped; Itgvvill be evident thatfthe, frlctionplates' 40' Willi function .to ifholdi the 1 devicein Vthe position fto4 which itfisV lowered, Iny other Words, during. thefdownwardmovement of ofthe plates-upon the l casing `13,' (Figure 3)'. f

by 'Operating ythe jai' 17, itl is possible yto rip and cut thefupper` CasingV section from the coupling 13', kas indicated atb()v ineFi'gures 3 issuedGcxtober 31st, '1922i Oficoursefit is to` the bodylO ofthe ripperand thelowermemits' andi'. This zrippinglaction istheisame asVv y thatA disciosedinmy Patent YNo;1,142,3522,

be understood that the ripping-of the upper Y casing section `ffromi.the "coupling 13 takes place Without thefnecessity fdiSturbing orl removingrvthe piping 12.1 r Itis to'fbe remem-V f- 1 bered that duringVr this ripping action, the;4

friction plates'iOare urged'outvvardly by the f Vcoilsprings 416. which arefstif enough to hold fr the action fof ythe `,fishing jaiin driving the: Y

blade19 upwardly.. 1 'f'InFig'ures 8- and kber of the fishing jar 17upinthe Well casing 13 so that it is possible to getthe full effect of l 9fl[haveshown the body l l A* 10as being pr0vided-With a cutter 20'instead of the knife blade 19. l This cutterl 20 islniount'v ed in the upper part of the slot 18 and is pivotally carried upon the pin 30 extending through the upper horizontal opening 26. It will be evident that when the cutter blade 20 is used, it is not necessary to employ a block such as the block 28 shown in Figure 3. However, it is desirable to close olf the lower part of the slot 18 by means of a closure member 51 held in place by a pin 52 extending through the horizontal opening 22.

At this time attention is directed to the fact that the cutter blade 2O is adapted to rip the lower section of casing 13 from the coupling 13. That is to say, the cutter blade 2O i is operated by a downward movement of the j ar 17.

The cutter blade 20 includes a lateral point or cutting edge 54 adapted to perform the cutting operation. This point 54 is at all times urged toward the casing by means of a small compression spring 55 mounted in an opening 56 in the body 10 and extending into an opening 57 in the cutter blade 20.

When the device shown in Figure 8 is being lowered, it will, of course, be evident that it is necessary to hold the cutting edge 54 out of engagement with the casing wall. This is accomplished by means of a little right angular tripping element 60. This element is mounted upon a small pin 61 carried by body 10. The vertical leg 62 of this tripping element is adapted to normally extend over the cutting edge 54, whereby it will be held within the slot 18. Y

The operation of this form of my invention is briefly as follows:

The device is lowered into the casing 13 until the vertical leg 62 of the tripping element 60 comes into a position opposite the opening between the ends of the casing sections in coupling 13. Then, by a slight upward movement of the jar connected to the body 10, itis possible to trip the element Y 60 oil the edge 54 of the cutter 2() and it will gravitate to the position shown in Figure 9. That is to say, by this upward pull upon the body 10, the vertical leg 62 engages in the opening between the sections of casing in coupling 13 and is pulled olf the cutting edge 54. Thereafter by jarring the cutter lade 20 downwardly it is possible to rip the lower casing section from the coupling 13', as indicated at 65 in Figure 9. Furthermore, inasmuch as the cutting edge 54 at all times rests upon the upper edge of the lower casing section during the ripping action, it is not necessary in this form of the invention to employ friction plates 40. That is to say, in this construction the use of friction plates is optional.

In Figure 10 I have illustrated the blade 2O as being mounted upside down in the slot 18. Vhen in this position, the cutting edge 54 of the blade 2O is adapted to rip the upper casing section from the coupling 13.

This upside down blade 2O is held in place in the slot 18 by means of a pin 70 extending through the horizontal opening 25. The blade is at all times urged outwardly by means of the spring 55.

The operation of this form of the invention is briefly as follows:

The body 10 is lowered into the well until the cutting edge 54 is opposite the brake between the casing sections connected by coupling 13. During this lowering operation, the cutting edge 54 of the blade 2() rides over the inner surface of the casing 13. Furthermore, since the cutting edge 54 can only cut upon the upward movement of the blade 20, it is not necessary during the lowering operation of the device to cover the cutting edge with a tripping member such as the element 60 previously described.

In the construction shown in Figure 10 it is necessary to employ the friction plates 40 so as to hold the device up in the casing during the operation of the jar. By actuating the jar, it is possible to force the cutting tool upwardly, thus resulting in it ripping the upper casing section from the coupling 13, as indicated at 50.

Now, of course, it is to be understood that although I have illustrated and described in detail the preferred forms of my invention, the invention is not to be thus limited, but only in so far as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

In combination, in a casing ripper, adapted to be lowered into a well casin, a body having an eccentrically disposed opening through which the piping in a well casing may extend, casing ripping means positioned to one side of the opening, and arranged to rip a casing sleeve free from its coupling without the necessity of disturbing said piping, and frictional means connected to said -body on the side of said opening adjacent to and on the same side of the axis of the body as said ripping means and being arranged on both sides of said ripping means for holding said body in a given position during the ripping operation and for exerting a resulting force tending to urge the body in a direction toward the side of the casing opposite that which the ripping means is acting on.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Tulsa, Oklahoma, county of Tulsa.

FRANK J. HINDERLITER.

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